Central Rebounds With Lejeune (6-0)

BRISTOL — The No. 1 team in the state jumped back into the win column by not jumping at too many of the teasing deliveries from lefthander Sam Tinkham.

Bristol Central had 10 hits, including solo homers by James Hahn and Bret Clark, and scored six runs in the sixth inning to beat Newington 8-4 Wednesday.

The Rams (15-1, 6-1 CCC South) were unbeaten before a 3-1 loss Monday at Platt-Meriden.

"This was big because we bounced back against a good team in our division," said Rams DH Austin Howard, who was 3-for-3 with two doubles, a single and two RBI.

Central coach Bunty Ray changed his batting order for the first time, moving Joe Vecca from No. 9 to the leadoff spot and Howard from fifth to third. "A little shake-up to see if our bats could get going better," Ray said.

They finally did against Tinkham, a freshman who shut out the Rams for 3 1/3 innings in a 7-5 loss May 1.

"He's tough, but we did a good job [Wednesday] waiting to hit the pitches we wanted," Ray said.

The Indians (12-5, 5-3), No. 8 in The Courant state ratings, didn't get a hit off Craig Lejeune until Tyler Barrett's infield single leading off the fifth.

Tinkham was effective early. After Hahn's homer in the second, Newington tied the score in the fifth on a throwing error by Rams third baseman Tyler McIntyre.

Central got that run right back in the bottom of the inning, taking a 2-1 lead on Clark's homer.

Tinkham tired in the sixth, and he and Nick Diorio each walked in a run before Howard lined a two-run double. Lejeune (6-0) gave up three runs in the seventh, two on Tinkham's double. Matt Niedzwiecki got the final out when Vecca made a diving catch in center field.

"I liked how my players came back," said Newington coach Eric Frank, "against a team with a solid lineup and their No. 1 pitcher."